Vatican: 100,000 answer pope’s call, fill St. Peter’s Square for Syria peace vigil

[Catherina]

Vatican: 100,000 answer pope’s call, fill St. Peter’s Square for Syria peace vigil



VATICAN CITY — Tens of thousands of people filled St. Peter’s Square for a four-hour Syria peace vigil late Saturday, answering Pope Francis’ call for a grassroots cry for peace that was echoed by Christians and non-Christians alike in Syria and in vigils around the world.

The Vatican estimated about 100,000 took part, making it one of the largest rallies in the West against proposed U.S.-led military action against the Syrian regime following the Aug. 21 chemical weapons attack near Damascus.

Francis spent most of the vigil in silent prayer, but during his speech he issued a heartfelt plea for peace, denouncing those who are “captivated by the idols of dominion and power” and destroy God’s creation through war.

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Vatican officials have stressed that Saturday’s event was thoroughly religious, not political. But the gathering nevertheless took on the air of an anti-war rally, with protesters holding up Syrian flags and banners in the square reading “Don’t attack Syria” and “Obama you don’t have a dream, you have a nightmare.” A few rainbow “Peace” flags fluttered in the breeze.

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http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/on-faith/tens-of-thousands-answer-popes-call-fill-st-peters-for-syria-peace-vigil/2013/09/07/03d0accc-17e3-11e3-961c-f22d3aaf19ab_story.html

Edit: Live video

[LittleBlue]

1. Good for them

I'm glad the pope is taking a forceful stand on this

[Catherina]

3. Me too. Just updated to add the live video

I feel like crying watching it, wondering what's wrong with those men in DC and their friends.

[KittyWampus]

2. Praying for Peace.

[NuclearDem]

4. I'll add this to the list:

Conservatives, evangelicals, liberals, communists, anarchists, and now Catholics all rallying against this war.

I'm no fan of religion, but Pope Francis did the right thing.

[KoKo]

5. Wonderful. I'm so glad to see this Pope defending Peace before we attack.

[liberal_at_heart]

6. That's beautiful. Glad to see it.

[reformist2]

7. For all the differences between Dems and the Vatican, they usually agree on war/peace issues.

I think it's an unappreciated alliance.

[sabrina 1]

8. That's beautiful to see. People asking for peace. If it were up to the people of the world,

we have no reason to be killing each other. It is the leaders and the war profiteers who are responsible for all these horrors.

Glad to see so many organizations, religious, national, civil liberties, across the board set aside all their other differences and unite for ending these aggressive policies on the pretext and the stupid theory that War is Peace.

[NCarolinawoman]

9. This is good. Really wonderful.

I am a Protestant. I don't speak Italian and only know basic Latin (from 8th grade. LOL); but the music and seeing ALL those people is really something to behold.

I admire this Pope. He seems a power for good, and what we truly need now is a man of influence advocating for peace.

[Coyotl]

10. Satan wants another war!

[Raksha]

11. Satan always wants another war, but I think he's in the minority this time.